Signal casing



Sept. 4, 1934. F. cLAslNG SIGNAL cAsING Filed Aug. 4, 1928 F4. .my i@ Patented Sept. 4, 1934 UNITED: .STATES PATENT OFFICE:

V1,972,620 SIGNAL CASING Y Fred Clasing, Ruthven, Iowa Application August 4, 1.928,sria1 No. .257,540

1 claim. (o1. 177-329) i This invention relates to signal devices for motor vehicles and particularly to that 'type `of 'signal which consists essentially of a xed casing having aL plurality of compartments,` individual lightsin the compartments, and translucent coverings for the casing provided with signal symbols through which the rays of light project.Y

The principal objects of my invention are'to provide a signal casing'of this general character lOso constructed that a signal Awill be given from both the forward and rear faces of the casing; the light supporting element as Well as the other parts are.` easily removed so as to facilitate re placement of the lights or such other parts while l5 at .the'same time all the parts are normally, rigidly held in place on the casing; various parts are reversible and interchangeable so that the device is easy and cheap to manufacture and assemble; the exterior contour of the casing is Smooth so that the device is easy to keep clean; and the wiring to the lights, while very easy to manipulate when necessary, is normally concealed Where said wiring emerges from the casing so that it is out of sight and not liable to become pulled olf or damaged When cleaning or otherwise Working on the car adjacent the signal device.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective elevation of my comf plete signal structure.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the casing proper, the covering and signal symbol plates being removed.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the cover de-Y tached.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of the complete structure. Y

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the numeral 1 denotes the casing proper, a rectangular member of suitable size and open both to the front and back. The casing is supported from the bottom by a bracket 2 which is adapted to be secured to a fender of the vehicle and having a vertical passage 3 therethrough which communicates with the interior of the casing. The casing Vis preferably made of sheet metal and its edges intermediate the corners both at front and rear are bent inwardly to form flanges 4 disposed in vertical planes; such flanges being all depressed` an equal amount relative to the edges 'of the i60 casing at then corners as shown in Fig. 2. The

kcasing at all corners is therefore formed with longitudinally extending flanges or ledges 5 projecting beyond the flanges '4, and providing means for locating the plates hereafter described in place to prevent such plates from having vertical or transverse movement relative tothe casing.

Two plates t snugly but removably between each set of ledges and-rest against the adjacent set of anges 4. The innermost plate 6 is of thin opaque material and is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced openings 7 of fanciful shape to represent various signal symbols; such openings being backed by a translucent (f5 cover sheet 8 secured to the plate 6. The various openings are so shaped that the plates may be inverted and the plate itself is of a size which will enable it to be fitted either at the front or back of the casing. The outer plate 9 is of the `s`o same size as the plate 6, but is entirely separate therefrom and is preferably a plain sheet of transparent glass. The thickness of the two plates together is such that the outer surface of the glass is substantially in vertical alinement C95 with the outer ends of the ledges 5.

To hold the plates against displacement away from the casing, a cover 10 is provided which is the same shape as theV casing, but has no bottom so that it slips over the casing from the top. The 590 size of the cover of course is such as to enable it to have a free but not loose t on the casing. The front and backV of the cover are mainly open except for flanges 11 all around and which are suiciently narrow so that they do not cover any '59"5 portion of the signal openings '7. The cover is of symmetrical form both at front and back as Well as on the sides so that it may be turned either Way and still t properly on the casing. It will therefore be obvious that when Vthe cover is in 1D0 place it will not come off unless the casing itself is actually inverted, so that securing means between the cover andv casing are unnecessary. However, if desired, a holding screw 12 for enr., gagement with the casing may be mounted in one Q05 side of the cover preferably near the bottom thereof. By means of this arrangement it will be evident that not only is the cover itself held from being dislodged by the particular manner in which no it ts on the casing, but the various removable vertical flanges 4 at one end of the casing being cut away about the rails so as to enable the partition unit to be slid out of the casing from `vthat end.

The partition unit has a plurality of light-"bulb supporting sockets 15 rno1'.1.nted"tlfier'einandar` ranged so that the different bulbs jwill illuminate the various casing compartments formed by the partitierl geuit. The partition .is :,eriieed file eeseery ,t9 allewthe Wiring lffsrem the ,ueoekets .top asste the bettompessase 3111 aek'et, threueh ivhieh resseee @all the wires The inartti'n -s C liefpesed relative :t0 .the pe. nes JTree, that each .opening will ,eem-

limieate Eenlfwtb :one Compartment in the LeasnecesSalvinvg. The 1partitionstructure is preyented from removal -by .one ef the plates @6 when the latter is iin position, and ,its emevalief @ourse enables the lights te lee easily fineerted or removed Whenever By means of the above described arrangement :it `will lbe Seen :that fverv compact :and neat apwpearrine sie-nal Strueture -iS proviided; in which no partition can become separated'unless it is actually desired to do so and without the use of connecting screws or other similar securing means which require the use of tools of one kind or another to manipulate, It will be also seen that it is a very simple matter to remove or interchange any part simply by slipping oi the cover.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seenwthat Ighave produced sucha device as substantially fulllsithe objectso the invention as set forth herein.

While this specication vsets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device,

stilllin practice such deviations from such detail may-be resorted to as do not forma departure .frvomgthe spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim fas new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Ineivelicle fdreetensenel, ,en onen vSided Cesvv ing :having .a peripheral fflange atits open eide., a partition .structure :for the casing :forming a 'plu- .rality :of ccmpartments and having@ dimension `suc-ln gas :tofcause it to :t :closely fbetween 0DDOsed parts lof the rivali of said casingsaid iange :beine provided/with. recesses ,cuttherethrough .and

vforming spaced slots ffor receiving the lendporftions of ;saidf pa1r tition structure and in part vsupporting `the saine, closure means yfor theiopen -side ,of-said casing seated onrsaid flange, andan aperitured .cover member tting .overl-such open side randholdir-ig the closure means inlplace.

Y FRED CLAS'I'N 

